


A Different Kind Of Nightmare

by TreeOfLife1997



Category: Doom (2005), Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Apocalypse, C-24, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death In Dream, Doom!Trek - Freeform, Imps - Freeform, John Grimm is Leonard McCoy, M/M, Mars, Olduvia, Post-Olduvai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-07-21 23:12:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7408915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TreeOfLife1997/pseuds/TreeOfLife1997
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reaper!Bones prompt from TFALokiwriter</p><p>John ‘Reaper’  Grimm goes through shenanigans with two young men,Spock and Jim, including missions that decide their life or death. One day, the two get on Reaper’s nerves. Makes him, act, a little out of ‘Bones’ but more so ‘Reaper’ character wishing he never met them and that he was never born out loud. Reaper returns to his quarters, exhausted. Reaper falls asleep and dreams up a reality where Leonard McCoy/John Grimm was never born.  By the end Reaper takes it all back.</p><p>Bonus points if Spock and Jim were suffering some ailment that wasn’t visible to Reaper and that’s why they get on his nerves this easily around this time.</p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Doom or Star Trek.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TFALokiwriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/gifts).



Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy stood on the bridge, gripping the hand rail for hard his knuckles had turned white and the metal was beginning to strain under the pressure of his grip. The Captain of the USS Enterprise, better known as Jim and his best friend, had beamed down to the surface of the planet they were currently in orbit of, alongside First Officer Spock and a small team from security.

Bones had been more than annoyed at Jim when he had first told him of his plans to beam down to the planet. Jim was good at keeping secrets, but why did he have to keep details of the mission secret? Why did he have to go? Why couldn’t he send someone else in his place? He was the Captain of the Enterprise door crying out loud, if he died on some fool mission, the crew would be without a Captain.

And Bones would be without a best friend.

A best friend who had been his saving grace. Because Bones had spent his entire life being haunted by the shadow of Mars and all that had taken place there. His life as John ‘Reaper’ Grimm wasn’t something he could forget and it wasn’t something he had ever been able to escape… Until he had meet Jim.

Jim had been like a burning ball of light, as bright as the sun, which had pushed and chased all the shadows away. And just like the sun, Reaper had come to find his life revolved around Jim and the light and warmth he gave off. Jim was like gravity, of you got to close you pulled in and couldn’t escape.

Not that Reaper had ever complained.

And slowly John had found himself changing. He no longer thought of himself as John ‘Reaper’ Grimm, but Jim’s best friend: Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy. And with Jim came an entire family. If it hadn’t been for Jim, Bones doubted, he’d be able to call the Enterprise’s senior crew his family. If it hadn’t been for Jim dragging him to the mess hall and being forced to interact with them outside of his work, he knew he wouldn’t be as close to them as was.

Because around Jim, he could forgot he was an immortal who’d out live them all.

And so after Jim, Spock and the security team had beamed down, Bones had made his way up to the bridge. For the first few moments everything had been fine and then it had gone to hell in a handbasket. They had been attacked by something, but it had happened so quickly, no one had been able to give an accurate description of what it was.

But it had killed three red shirts and injured Jim.

And before Bones could even demand how badly Jim had been hurt, communications had been lost. All those on the bridge could do was watch as one by one the life signs of the away team began to go out. Sulu who had been left in command whilst Jim and Spock had been away bad demanded Scotty beam them up, but Scotty had been unable to get a lock on, as they were moving to quickly and there was too much interference from the planet’s atmosphere.

Jim, Spock and one member from scrutiny were the only members of the away team still alive and even as Bones watched one life sign faded away. The metal under his hands buckled slightly as his grip tightened.

The life sign had been Jim’s.

)o(

Jim laughed as he sat down on the bio-bed, either not seeing the glare Bones was sending him or choosing to ignore it. How could he be so happy? Did he have any idea what he had put him through? When Jim’s life signs had faded away, Bones’ heart had stopped. It was like the whole world had come crashing down around him on that bridge.

It was like Khan all over again… Only this time he had no way to save Jim.

It was like when Sam had died and he had been unable to save, been too far away and by the time he had heard the news, she had already been dead.

It was times like that when Bones wished he had never used Khan’s blood to save Jim, but rather his own C-24 enhanced blood, because then he would have had the reassurance that nothing in the known universe could kill him. Because Bones was sick and tired of the constant fear that Jim wouldn’t be coming back alive.

The fear that he wouldn’t be quick enough to save his best friend.

Even Spock seemed unfazed by what had occurred down on the planet, sprouting all kinds of nonsense about how the fear of death was illogical and that worrying about events you have no control over is pointless. If Bones had been do preoccupied by trying to fix Jim up he would have snapped the damn Vulcan’s neck to shut him up.

Couldn’t they see how much it had affected him? Couldn’t they see how there near deaths had affected all of the crew? And yet here the two of them were, acting as if it was no big deal. Jim was even laughing about it!

And in Bones anger his didn’t notice the slightly hysterical edge to Jim laugh or the slight tremor in Spock’s hands, before he clasped them behind his back as he was checked over by Nurse Chapel, who could quite clearly see Jim was beginning to go into shock… Whatever had happened down on that planet must have been truly terrifying.

Nurse Chapel had only ever seen two types of people when it came to paintings suffering from shock. Type one, they chatted endless about everything that came to mind, or type two, who sat in complete silence and started at nothing. Jim fitted type one perfectly as he chatted on almost hysterically so and then there was Spock who had been completely silent since his small rant about fear of death being illogical, but it was hard to tell whether he was in shock, as sitting in silence was perfectly normal for him.

Finally Nurse Chapel nodded to Spock.

“You’re injuries aren’t too serious, but I would advise you go easy on that hand for a while,” Nurse Chapel informs him. “I have also taken you off duty until midday tomorrow. If you feel even the slightest bit ill, return immediately, Commander.”

Spock inclined his head slightly and turned his attention back to Jim, who was sitting chatting endless, but his body had begun to shake slightly, as Nurse Chapel hurried away with a substance she had collected from Spock’s clothing for analyses.

“Jim!” Bones suddenly snapped. “Shut up!”

Jim jaw snapped shut and he stared at Bones wide-eyed.

“Do you even care?!” Bones demanded, glaring at Jim. “Do you even think about what your actions do to everyone else?! Do you have an idea what you put me through?! What you put the crew through?! Every time you risk you damn neck?!”

“Bones-” Jim goes to answer.

“No,” Bones snapped. “You don’t… You have no idea how hard it is to watch as you nearly get yourself killed time and time again!”

“Bones…” Jim muttered.

“There are times when I wish I had never been born! Because then I would never have met you! Either of you, for that matter!” As Spock takes a step closer to Jim at Bones’ outburst.

Jim’s jaw drops open at all he can do is watch as Bones stormed out of the med-bay and if Bones had looked back, he would have seen the look of dejection that passed over Jim’s face.


	2. Chapter 2

Bones blinked his eyes open in confusion. He could feel a soft breeze on his face and the warmth of the sun, as well as the solid stone ground beneath him. He most definitely wasn't in his quarters which he had fallen asleep in. He blinked against the harsh light of the sun above him and sat up and looked round.

He appeared to be in the middle of a desert and it seemed oddly familiar, but for the life of him he couldn't remember where from. He slowly got to his feet and began to walk. Maybe if he could find some form of civilisation, he could work out where he was and call for help, as he had no means of communication on him.

In the distance he could hear the sounds of tools striking rock and he quickly changed direction to follow the noise. He walked for two miles before be reached the edge of a crater, filled with diggers and a small party of people examine the rocks bought up from deeper underground.

Bones froze.

This was impossible…

He knew exactly where he was.

He was on Mars.

He was at Olduvai.

He stared down at the scene below him and he had to shut his eyes for a moment as tears threatened to fall. This place, it was hell and it always had been. Nothing good every came out of this place and all it had bought Bones was misery and a seemingly endless life. Below him, Bones catches sight of two people and his heart almost stopped.

It was his parents!

He quickly approaches the edge of the crater and without a single second of hesitation, he jumped. He landed easily and nobody even looked up, but Bones payed it no mind as he moved across the sight to where his parents where working. He stopped a few feet away from them and simply watched them, memorising every detail.

Suddenly a small blonde child run towards them laughing as they played with a toy and Bones instantly recognised them. It was Sam, his twin sister. His father looked up as Sam approached and a smile spread across his lips as he watched her.

"Sam," He said. "What have we told you about playing out here?"

"Not to," Sam answered as she came to a halt in front of their father. "But it's so boring inside. I have no one to play with!"

That caught Bones' attention. He and Sam always played together.

"What about the other children?" Their father asked.

"They don't like me," Sam pouted.

"Sam!" Their mother suddenly scolded. "Get back inside this instant! It's dangerous out here!"

"Yes, mum," Sam said.

Their father ruffled Sam's hair and she began to walk away. But as Sam approached the door leading back into the Olduvai facility a loud rumbling filled the air. Bones looked up as a rock slide came thundering down the side of the crater.

"Mum!" Bones yelled, running forward. "Dad!"

He tried to grab hold of them and pull them to safety, but his hands passed straight through them as if they weren't even there.

"Sam!" Their mother screamed, running towards her.

"Mum!" Sam screamed.

"Get inside," Their mother screamed.

Sam did as she was told and not a second too soon as the rock slide engulfed the entire site.

"Mum!" Sam screamed. "Dad!"

~*~

Bones stood behind the stern looking man who was sat at the desk in a plain looking office, as he flicked through pages of Sam's file. He worked for the UAC and was in charge of dealing with his twin sister chase after both their parents were killed whilst working for the UAC. He could remember sitting next to Sam all those years ago.

"Samantha Grimm," The man muttered to himself. "The only child of the late Mr and Mrs Grimm."

Bones looked up sharply. Sam was an only child? Had something happened to him? Had he died?

"Sam," His sister corrected. "I prefer to be called Sam."

"Very well, Sam," The man said. "Your aunt has come forward and offered to care for you. The UAC will cover all your expenses until you are twenty one. This will cover food, clothing and schooling as well as bills and medical charges."

Sam nodded, but clearly didn't truly understand what he was talking about due to her young age. He man had already discussed all this with their aunt, but due to UAC policy they also had to discuss it with Sam.

The man shook his head slightly.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Sam," He said. "And on behalf of the UAC, I offer heartfelt condolences and the reassurance that the UAC is doing everything within its power to ensure an accident like this never happens again."

Sam nodded again.

"All funeral expenses have been covered by the UAC," The man continued. "And a new house has been bought for you and your aunt to live in for as long as you wish. A UAC funded psychiatrist has also been provided should you need one… Well, everything seems to be in order here. I wish you all the best in the future."

The man shut Sam's file and Sam quickly got to her feet and left the room. Bones followed her out into the hallway and watched as their aunt embraced her.

"Let's go home," Their aunt said, rubbing Sam's back. "It's been a long day."

And Bones continued to watch over her. Her life was vastly different to what it had been when it had been the two of them together, but Sam was an only child so it was to be expected. Thanks to the UAC's funding, she went to the best schools and finished top in all her classes, just as she had before. She went to a top university and graduated just before her twenty-first birthday.

~*~

Bones blinked and sat up. He didn't remember falling asleep. He run a hand over his face and sighed, he knew he was going to have to face Jim again at some point during the day and he wasn't looking forward to it. Especially after the dream he'd just had. He'd seen his parents die all over again and watched his twin sister grow up without him, like he'd never existed in the first place.

And it was in that moment Bones realised he wasn't back in his quarters aboard the Enterprise.

Bones jumped to his feet, his eyes wide.

This couldn't be happening.

He couldn't be here.

This had to be another kind of bad dream.

There was no way this was real!

Because he was standing in the RRTS barracks!

Pvt. Mark "The Kid" Dantalian was sweeping the floor beside his bunk. Across the room from him Sgt. Gregory "Duke" Schofield, was laying on his bunk playing a video game. At the end of the room Pvt. 1st Class Katsuhiko Kumanosuke "Mac" Takahashi, was preparing to throw a baseball at Sgt. Gannon "Destroyer" Roark, who was holding his bat ready at the other end of the room.

Standing not far from where Bones was standing was Corp. Dean Portman, dressed in one of his horribly colourfully shirts, which for some reason he seemed to think the opposite sex and same sex alike, loved. And Corp. Eric "Goat" Fantom was taking off his dog-tags on the room, before he sat down on his bunk and picked up a book with a black cover, which Bones knew to be a bible.

Bones sat back down and watched the scene before him.

He didn't have long to watch though, as Gunnery Sgt. Asher "Sarge" Mahonin, walked down the steps leading out of the barracks and called his men to attention. The Kid was told off by Sarge, as he had carried on reading his comic book rather than standing to attention. Bones watched as Duke struggled to contain his amusement and Portman was quick to tease The Kid once they'd been given their orders.

Bones followed them up the stairs and watched as they changed out of their civilian clothing and into their combat gear. He followed them through the base and outside to where the helicopter was waiting for them. And all the while not a single one of them could see him, just like Sam hadn't been able to see him or hear him…

As far Bones could tell John 'Reaper' Grimm didn't exist in this dream either, or if he did, he wasn't in the RRTS at least.

But more worryingly, Bones knew exactly where they were going.

They were going to Mars.

Responding to call from Olduvai.

~*~

"Sam," Bones whispered.

His twin sister stood before him, informing Sarge and the rest of the RRTS about how she'd be accompanying them into the facility to recover data, per UAC orders. She looked a few year older than she had the last time Bones had seen her in his previous dream. He tried to reach out and touch her and just like before he passed straight through her.

Bones cursed under his breath.

He couldn't do this.

He could stand by and watch as his squad and twin sister entered Olduvai and he could do nothing to help them or even warn them of what was to come. He and his twin sister had been the only two to make it back from Mars alive and Bones didn't want to think about what would happen this time around…

If he hadn't killed Sarge, his twin sister would have been killed of worse, turned.

And Sarge would have made it back to Earth a log with all those imp's Bones had killed after Sam had injected him with C-24…

So with a growing sense of horror, Bones followed them through the airlock into the research base of the facility. He had wanted to get as far away from here as possible and just wake up back in his quarters back on the Enterprise and centuries and lightyears away from this catastrophe, but he couldn't. It was like he was stuck to the scenes playing out before him, like they were two magnets, he just couldn't pull himself away not matter how hard he tried to.

He watched as they found Dr Carmack and he ripped off his open ear after dropping the arm he'd been carrying. He watched as Portman and The Kid found the naked body of the women who the arm belonged to and he watched them shoot her dead after she attacked them. He watched as Dr Carmack tried to warn Sam about what was going to happen to him.

He followed Goat through the facility, into the genetics lab, where Goat was forced to shot dead another scientist, who tried to attack him with a knife after eating a live rat. He watched as Sarge and Destroyer encountered a monkey in the ventilation shaft and the strange black lumps in its blood.

He watched as blood was taken from Dr Carmack, only for it to have the same black lumps in it. He watched as Goat chased one of the imp's into the sewers and it didn't take long for everyone else to catch up.

He screamed in frustration as he watched Portman drown, as no one could pull him out of the underground hole in time.

He shed tears as The Kid was killed by an imp, having been caught unaware from behind, thanks to the pills Portman had given him earlier.

He watched as Goat was attacked by the imp he had chased and watched as it left some sort of worm like creature in him.

He said a prayer as Sarge and the remaining members of the RRTS carried the bodies back to the infirmary. He watched Sarge loose his temper at Sam after they returned to the infirmary to find Dr Carmack gone and all Sam could tell him was he had disappeared.

He shut his eyes and fell to his knees as they failed to save Goat's life and his body was moved to the infirmary's side room.

It had been hard enough to lose his brothers-in-arms the first time…

He watched as Mac armed Pinky and joined the rest of the RRTS. He watched with a slight smile as Duke and Sam flirted with each other, while Sam examined the imp that had been killed in the sewers. He watched as the power went out and Duke encountered a rabid dog and then an imp which was Dr Carmack mutated. He watched Sarge and Mac enter the archaeological dig.

He had to look away as an imp cut of Mac's head.

He watched as Sarge went in search of a larger weapon and left Destroyer guarding the airlock. He watched as Sam discovered the imp they had found in the sewer was actually a human being. He watched as Goat returned to life, only to kill himself by smashing his head on the observation window.

He watched as Sarge found the weapon he was looking for and he watched as Destroyer was killed by an imp. He watched Sarge return to the infirmary carrying Destroyer's body and stood silently as Sam discovered it was the C-24 which was causing those infected to mutate into monsters. He watched as Sarge ordered Sam to continue her work.

He watched as Pinky failed to stop the imps getting through the door and he watched as they started killing. Sarge and Duke slowly worked their way through the facility killing those who were still alive and shooting those who were already dead as they went. He watched as an imp caught Sam before she could complete her work and with a feeling of dread, he watched as she was infected.

He watched Sarge get infected after he and Duke split up and he watched Duke get torn to pieces, almost causing him to lose control of stomach. And all he could do was watch as Sarge fully mutated lead the other imp's to Earth.

~*~

Bones walked through the city streets. Bodies covered the ground, some still and unmoving in death, whilst others twitched as they mutated.

It had been a bloodbath.

Those on the surface had been completely unprepared for what came out of the lift. The army had been scrambled, but by the time they had reached the Ark site, the imp's had already reached three major cities and began infecting the populations there. The number of imp's increased with every passing second.

In a matter of days America was over run.

The army had dropped several nuclear weapons on several of its own major cities to try and stop the imps, but all it had done was kill innocent people. The imp's rose from the ashes unharmed. A week later Canada and Latin America had been over run. Planes were sent in carrying bombs from overseas, but it did nothing to stop the spread of the monsters.

Next to fall was Russia.

Then rest of Europe.

Then Asia.

In a matter of months Earth population was halved and the half which remained were more monster than human.

And so Bones walked the through the streets of his home town, surrounded by nothing but skeleton's.

The entire world was dead.

All that remained were monsters.

He just wanted to wake up from this nightmare.


	3. Chapter 3

And suddenly Bones found himself standing in a corridor to see a heavily pregnant Winona Kirk being wheeled past in a wheelchair by a team of medical staff.

"That's George's voice. What's happening?" Winona demanded.

"We'll deliver in the shuttle," A female doctor said. "Go!"

"George?" Winona spoke into the comm one of the doctors had handed her.

" _You're okay,_ " George answered. " _Thank god._ _I have Medical Shuttle Thirty-seven standing by. Get to it now. Can you do that?_ "

"Yes," Winona answered.

" _Everything's going to be okay,_ " George reassured her. " _Do exactly as I say. Shuttle Thirty-seven._ "

"George, it's coming," Winona cried. "Our baby, it's coming now."

" _I'm on my way,_ " George said.

And suddenly Bones found himself back on the bridge. He watched as George tried to operate the auto-pilot.

"Auto-pilot function has been destroyed," The computer told him. "Manual operation only."

And Bones then suddenly found himself standing in medical shuttle thirty-seven.

" _Captain to Shuttle Thirty-Seven,_ " George said. " _Is my wife on-board?_ "

"Yes sir," The shuttle pilot answered. "She is."

" _I need you to go now,_ " George told them. " _Do you hear me?_ "

"We're waiting on you, sir," The pilot replied.

" _No, just go. Take off, immediately,_ " George ordered. " _That's an order._ "

"Yes, sir," The pilot answered.

"No, wait," Winona cried. "We can't go yet. Please, stop. George, the shuttle's leaving. Where are you?"

" _Sweetheart, listen to me,_ " George said. " _I'm not going to be there._ "

"No," Winona cried.

" _This is the only way you'll survive._ "

"Please, don't stay on the ship. You have to be here."

" _The shuttles will never make it if I don't fight them off._ "

"George, I can't do this without you."

"Okay, I need you to push now," The female doctor told Winona.

Winona pushed. The sound of a baby crying filled the air and Bones watched a baby Jim was wrapped in a blanket and cleaned.

" _What is it?_ " George asked.

"It's a boy," Winona smiled as she was handed baby Jim.

" _A boy!_ " George laughed. " _Tell me about him._ "

"He's beautiful," Winona said. "George, you should be here."

" _What are we going to call him?_ "

"We can name him after your father."

" _Tiberius? Are you kidding me? No, that's the worst. Let's name him after your dad. Let's call him Jim._ "

"Jim. Okay. Jim it is."

" _Sweetheart, can you hear me?_ "

"I can hear you."

"I love you so much. I love you-"

Winona cried as baby Jim fell asleep in her arms and Bones looked out the closest window as the light of the explosion George Kirk caused lit up the space around them.

~*~

By the time Jim had reached the age of eleven, Bones was beyond furious. If he ever met Frank in real life the man would be begging for death by the time he was done with him. How could a man treat children in such a way? Franks had never raised a hand against Jim, like he had Sam (Jim's older brother and that had been quite a shock when Bones realised Jim had an older sibling called Sam), but the emotional abuse Jim had suffered was just as bad, if not worse.

And so when Sam run away and Jim found the keys tooth car he was cleaning, Bones couldn't really be angry at Jim for wanting to get away in it and that was how Bones found himself sat in the passenger seat as Jim raced the car along an old abandoned road. He watched as Jim opened the convertible roof, only for it to bet torn off by the wind. Suddenly the sound of a Nokia phone beeping cuts over the noise of the wind.

Young Jim Kirk is driving a corvette as his Nokia phone chirps)

"Hey, are you out of your mind?" Frank's voice sounded out of the inbuilt device when Jim answered it. "That car's an antique. You think you can get away with this just 'cause your mother's off-planet? You get your ass back home, now! You live in my house, buddy. You live in my house and that's my car. You get one scratch on that car and I'm going to whip your ass-"

Jim ended the call and selected the music option.

"Yeah!" Jim screamed as the music began playing.

Up ahead an older kid could be seen walking, trying to hitchhike.

"Hey, Sammy!" Jim called out to them as they passed.

A couple of moments later the sound of a police siren reached their ears and Jim looked in the rear view mirror at the police hover bike approaching.

"Citizen, pull over," The officer said as they drew level.

Jim pulled off the main road onto a dirt track and raced towards an old abandoned quarry. Bones gripped his seat in fear as he realised Jim wasn't slowing down. He was going to drive the car straight over the edge.

"Jim!" Bones yelled. "What the hell do you think you're doing, kid? Stop!"

But Jim couldn't hear him and the car continued to speed towards the edge.

Bones tries to grab hold of Jim, but his hand passed straight through him.

"Jim!" Bones screamed and suddenly he wasn't in the car anymore.

All he could do was watch as the car went over the edge and he run forward. He collapsed to his knees in relief as the dust cleared to reveal Jim pulling himself to safety. But anger quickly took its place and Bones got to his feet marched forward.

"What the hell were you thinking, kid?" Bones demanded even though Jim couldn't see him or hear him. "You could have gotten your fool-ass killed!"

"Is there a problem, officer?" Jim asked, as he got to his feet.

"You cocky little-" Bones fumed.

"Citizen, what is your name?" The officer asked.

"My name is James Tiberius Kirk," Jim answered.

And that was how Jim found himself being sent to Tarsus IV and a feeling of complete and utter dread washed over Bones.

~*~

Having watched Jim's time on Tarsus and his life that followed, many of Jim's behavioural patterns began to make sense in Bones mind. Jim started fights and got himself beaten up, even though he could easily win the fights he started, because for a sort time the physical pain blocked out the emotional pain and it grounded him.

It made him feel alive.

It reminded him he was alive.

And as Bones watched Jim struggle through the academy alone, he couldn't help but admire hoe strong Jim was. An experience like Tarsus would have broken most people, but it had made Jim stronger. He watched Jim create the virus which allowed him to beat Spock's unbeatable test and he watched Jim win and he suddenly understood why Jim was so determined to win.

Tarsus had taught Jim to never give up, no matter what the odds were.

And Bones' heart almost broke as he watched Jim as he was told he couldn't take part in the rescue mission to Vulcan and as he watched Jim leave the shuttle hanger, Bones suddenly feared forth future.

It had been Jim who was responsible for saving Earth…

And suddenly Bones was aboard the Enterprise. He watched as Pike was never warned by Jim that Vulcan was being attacked. He watched as they entered the space around Vulcan to the scene of all the ships which arrived before them, completely destroyed.

He watched Sulu and Olsen do a space jump down to the drill, but with no Jim there, Sulu couldn't fight off both of the Romulan's alone. Bones watched in mute horror as Sulu was killed and the drill was never disabled.

Vulcan was destroyed before Spock even had a chance to beam down.

Jim was never marooned on Delta Vega and Scotty was never bought aboard. Under Spock's command, the Enterprise never tried to save Earth, even though they knew that was the Narada's next stop. Earth was destroyed and one by one the Narada destroyed ever other Federation planet it passed.

When the Enterprise finally meet up with the other ships, Pike had already died and the Romulan's attacked, wiping out the remaining ships, including the Enterprise. How had Jim absence caused so much damage?

And that was the moment Bones realised it wasn't Jim absence that had caused this…

It was his.

He had smuggled Jim aboard the Enterprise.

He had stopped Sarge from making it to the surface.

He had killed all the imp's.

He had saved his sisters life.

He had saved Earth once.

And he had saved it again by smuggling Jim aboard the Enterprise.

Without him, there would be no Earth.

… Without him, there would be no Jim Kirk.


	4. Chapter 4

McCoy woke with a start.

He looked round wildly and breathed a sigh of relief as he found himself back in his quarters aboard the Enterprise. He'd just had the strangest dream and a dream he hoped he never had again. The word would not be worth living in without Jim.

After Sam's death, Bones never thought he find anyone to fill the hole left in his soul… But then he had met Jim.

And slowly he'd become less like Sam's Reaper and more like Jim's Bones.

Jim had saved him, just like he had saved Jim from his own destructive mentality.

Jim was his best friend and Bones didn't think he'd be able to live in a world without Jim. He'd lost so many people, his heart couldn't take another. He reached into the draw beside his bed and pulled out a small vial.

Sam had given it to him.

" _For when you find someone you can't live without,_ " Sam had told him, when she handed him the vial almost two centuries ago.

Bones rolled the vial between his figures and looked up at the chronometer on the wall of his quarters. Jim would be awake by now and preparing for his next shift. Bones got to his feet, he owed Jim an apology for his behaviour and attitude in the medical bay. He quickly got changed and headed out of his quarters and towards Jim's.

He pressed the buzzer outside Jim's door and waited for an answer, but he didn't get one. He buzzed again, nothing. He tried once more and again nothing. Bones frowned and entered his medical override code. The door to Jim's quarters opened and Bones entered.

Jim was lying on his bed and he could have been mistaken for being asleep, but something was wrong. Jim's chest was rising and falling too slowly and his breathing was far too shallow. Bones hurried over to him and grabbed hold of one of Jim's wrists. His skin was far too cool and his pulse was weak.

"Damn it, Jim!" Bones cursed.

Bones looked down at the vial still in his hand.

Dare he even think about it?

It would save Jim and ensure nothing in this universe could take him from Bones' side. Because by the time a medical team got here, it'd be too late. It was the only way to save Jim's life…

But could Bones doom Jim to his kind of life, endless, but no longer alone.

The answer was simple.

Yes, he could.

Bones knew without a doubt Jim would work out what he had done the next time he got injured… But he also had forever to earn Jim's forgiveness and more.

**Author's Note:**

> To anyone who's been reading C-24: The Truth about Mars or The Reaper and His Angel, I currently working on some uncompleted stories on FanFiction.net, as soon as they have been completed I'll be back to working on my Doom!Trek stories.  
> Also TFALokiwriter, I hope you enjoy this story :)


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